Where Are We Now?

A good overview of the issues and problems facing public education at this point, from Ruth Conniff at The Progressive

Privatization Primer

Some of what happens in school reform may not seem to make sense, but here’s how it fits into the agenda of those who want to privatize public education

Privatization Primer

Yong Zhao on Not Chasing China

Another great video that gives an easily accessible (actually quite funny) explanation of why reform is on the wrong track

John Oliver takes on testing

A great clear take on the testing issue

A Quick, Clear History of School Reform

Education historian Diane Ravitch puts some historical perspective to the changing purpose and form of ESEA

The Lost Purpose of School Reform

The Role of Charter Authorizers

This piece from Marian Wang gives a good picture of how slack and not-really-qualified charter school authorizers (the organizations that get to say “yes” or “nay” to those who want to start up a charter) lead to many charter problems.

When a Wildlife Rehab Center Regulates Charter Schools: Inside the Wild World of Charter Regulation

The Big Picture

Why do we have these policies that seem aimed at creating failure? Why do so many current education movements seem designed to create the opposite effect of their stated goals? In this post, I try to step back and look at the bigger picture. Where is education “reform” really headed?

The Big Picture

140 Year of School Successs

Daniel Katz provides a nicely fact-filled picture of American schools have, in fact, been succeeding.

140 Years of School Success

The Science of Common Core

Forbes ran this outstanding piece by Alice G. Walton laying out clearly some of the developmental objections to the Common Core.

The Science of Common Core

Four Common Core Flim Flams

Carol Burris is a well-respected principal who was an early fan of the Common Core, but who has become one of their most outspoken critics. She often appears on Valerie Strauss’s Washington Post blog, but here is one of her best– four clear and direct points on which the Core is trying to snooker the public.

Four Common Core flimflams